Every night before going to sleep, a male resident in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai leaves an envelope stuffed with 800 yuan (US$103.50) on a table in his living room--a gesture he hopes will guarantee him a safe night.

That envelope is prepared for possible burglars and is what this resident and many fellow citizens in the city do to "buy" no threats to their lives.

The "lifesaving" amount varies from 800 to 1,000 yuan.

According to Guangzhou Daily, such practices are becoming common among Zhuhai citizens, some of whom also leave a letter pleading with the potential reader to take the money and leave.

The male resident says words for such letters should be carefully selected and should render the reader a feeling of respect, rather than use disrespectful words that could lead to injury or damage.

The man said such money can also be left in the most obvious place in one's home when a family goes for vacation.

Since many would-be burglars take the money and never come back, others worry such actions may deliver the wrong message that burglary is acceptable.

A random survey by Guangzhou Daily shows most respondents are opposed to preparing such money, saying it encourages crime.

Local lawyer Sun Cheng says although life safety is above all the most important, burglars are very likely to return for similar funds.

The paper cites responses from Zhuhai's security bureau, who share similar worries.

While police emphasize the priority of safety, they encourage citizens to deter burglary by taking other measures such as installing automatic burglary alarm systems.